


Rock and Roll All Night

by Steed73



Category: To the Manor Born
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26303134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steed73/pseuds/Steed73
Summary: After Richard and Archie’s discussion about being old rockers, Audrey finds out Richard was in a band.Set after the 25th Anniversary Special (thanks to the member of the To The Manor Born Facebook Group who came up with this idea)
Relationships: Richard DeVere/Audrey fforbes-Hamilton
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

He hadn’t looked at these photos for years but chatting about old rockers the other day had made him nostalgic for his days as a youngster in a band.

Audrey leaned over the back of the settee, looking over his shoulder, ”What are you looking at darling?"

"Just some old photos,"

"I didn't know you were in a band. Oh you played the piano,” She said taking a seat next to him and looking at the photo of him playing the piano.

"I was very young and we weren't that good but it was fun.”

“Why did you stop?” She asked turning the page of the album

“We got older, the others moved and then I started Cavendish. No time for a band,”

He sat back in the chair and sighed, “When I was talking about the rock festival with Archie the other day it brought back all those memories.” Richard shook his head “Anyway who was that on the phone?”

Audrey snuggled up against him, “Oh it was Archie, apparently instead of a rock festival he’s going to have a party, I said we’d go of course,”

“Of course,” he smiled kissing her forehead.

Audrey’s mind began to wander, maybe she could find Richard’s old bandmates, invite them to stay at Grantleigh. She was sure Richard would like that, but then she remembered her old friend Podge Hodge coming to stay years ago and what a disaster that had been.

People had a habit of not being the same as they were years ago. She thought it best to see if she could find them first before deciding whether to invite them to stay or not.

“Darling…” her husband’s deep voice shook her out of her thoughts.

‘Mmm,”

“Do you realise we’re all on our own, no Adam, no Marjory and no staff?”

Audrey pushed herself up, looking at him, “And what did you have planned for all this time we have on our own?”

Richard nuzzled her neck then whispered in her ear exactly what he had planned for them this afternoon.

Audrey blushed at his naughty suggestion, “Richard! It’s not even dark outside,”

“Since when has that stopped us,” he chuckled.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next week with the help of the detailed captions Richard’s mother had written beneath each photo, she had made inquiries about the whereabouts of his former bandmates. Unfortunately, she found that all of them had passed away over the last few years and Richard was the only one left.

Deciding not to tell him as she didn’t want to upset him, she began to plan a dinner party for the night before Archie’s party. Archie had invited a secret guest that he refused to tell anyone about. Although Marjory had said that the word on the grapevine was that it was a movie star, Audrey hadn’t been able to find out anymore.

She would have to speak to Emmeridge about the dinner menu, and make sure to invite Marjory, Adam would be there of course, Archie and his wife and their top secret guest.

She sighed looking at her watch, Richard was late back from the estate office. In the last week he had developed the habit of taking Bertie with him so he could give the little dog a walk before he came home.

For someone who claimed to not have liked dogs in the house, he was very fond of Bertie and even let him sleep in their bedroom.

Walking into the hall she put her coat on and made her way to the estate office to find her husband.

Her search at the estate office wasn’t successful, she was puzzled when Adam had told her that Richard had left ages ago.

Where could he be she wondered, perhaps he took Bertie on a longer walk up by the folly? Yes she thought, she’d try there first.

As she walked by the church yard she heard the faint sound of music coming from inside. That was unusual she thought, the rector didn’t say anything about choir practice tonight. Then she realised there was no singing, just the gentle melodic tones of the Piano.

Deciding to take a look she quietly stepped through the door, upon entering the church she saw her husband seated at the piano with Bertie perched on his lap, paws on the keys as Richard played a tune.

She stifled a giggle at the scene, Richard played very well, even with Bertie’s help. The little puppyseemed to be enjoying it very much, so much so that a few seconds later he began howling along to the tune Richard was playing.

Audrey burst out laughing and began to clap both of them, “Well done darling, that was a wonderful performance,” she said as she came and sat down next to Richard on the piano bench and ruffled Bertie’s ears, “and you Bertie, I’m sure the Rector will be after you to join the choir.”

Richard laughed, “Well he would certainly be an upgrade on Mrs Hedges,”

“I was worried about you darling. What are you doing in here?”

“Bertie and I just stopped to put some fresh flowers on mothers grave and then the Rector mentioned the new piano had arrived, so I thought I would try it out. I’m sorry I didn’t realise how late it was,”

“That’s alright. Maybe we should get a piano for the Manor, then you could play whenever you wanted. I’m sure Bertie would like it, wouldn’t you boy,”

Bertie barked excitedly and smacked his front paws on the piano keys again.

Richard chuckled and picked Bertie up off the piano and sat him on the floor, reaching for Audrey’s hand he stood up, “I’ll think about. Come on I’m starving, lets go home,”

“What is that awful noise?” Richard said entering the Manor, the noise was so bad that Bertie had run into the drawing room to get away from it.

“It’s coming from the ballroom,”

Opening the door to the ballroom, they found Emmeridge and their cleaner Mrs Hedges singing, if you could call it that at the top of their lungs. Emmeridge was running a feather duster over the frame of a painting while Mrs Hedges pushed a mop around the floor.

"Emeridge! What on earth are you doing?" Richard shouted trying to be heard.

Startled the butler dropped the feather duster in his hand, "I was, that is we, were just practicing for the Karaoke competition on Saturday,"

“Karaoke Competition? How ghastly,” Audrey shuddered, “Perhaps you should confine your practice to your room Emmeridge,” She suggested.

“Yes Madam. Shall I serve dinner now or will you be changing first?” Emmeridge asked looking disapprovingly at their current attire.

Richard found this incredibly rude especially considering the attack their ears had just sustained at the hands of their butler and decided that rather than wasting his breath disciplining him again they would eat out tonight and let Emmeridge face the cooks wrath.

“Actually Emmeridge Mrs DeVere and I will be dinning out tonight,” Richard said firmly.

“As you wish Sir,” Emmeridge said leaving the room muttering under his breath, “Don’t know why I bother, come back here late, not dressing properly...” shutting the door after him.

“We really need a new Butler, that man is beyond rude,”

“He’s the best we could get darling you know that besides he does have his uses. With a voice like that we could use him as a deterrent for burglars,” Audrey laughed


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a short chapter but I hope you like it.

Archie had rung that morning to tell them the party had been canceled, he didn’t say why but the rumor was the caterers had come down with food poisoning. Not something you would want to be spread around the neighborhood.

However, Audrey still went ahead with the dinner party, Archie and his wife with their unknown guest being the last to arrive.

“Richard DeVere is that you?!”

Richard turned around, his eyes widened when he saw who it was, “Roger! How wonderful to see you again,” he said embracing Roger in a big hug.

“I didn’t know you lived around here? Never had you down for a man of the country, what made you move out here?”

Richard chuckled, “Love, I met my wife here,”

“She must be one hell of a woman,”

Richard nodded, “She is, I’m very lucky,”

Across the room, Marjory gasped, “Audrey look, it’s Roger Daltrey!”

“Who?”

“Yes, that’s him, from The Who,”

“The What?”

“No not the What, The Who.” Marjory rolled her eyes,“The band The Who, you know. We used to listen to them when we were younger,”

Realization dawned on Audrey’s face, she always preferred the Beatles but she could remember listening to The Who, “Oh yes, so he’s Archie’s house guest this weekend. Richard seems to know him,” she said watching as her husband embraced the man.

Dinner had been a great success, Richard explaining how he knew Roger from his days in his band and playing a few times for him in a local club they frequented when his normal guy couldn't. Everyone had got on well and Marjory was enjoying filling in Roger on the goings-on in the village.

“Where’s Emmeridge got to then Richard?” Adam asked over coffee.

“We gave him the rest of the night off to go to the pub's Karaoke competition, he thinks he and Mrs. Hedges are going to win,”

Roger grinned, he sensed the potential of some fun, “I think we should go to the pub and watch this Karaoke competition, it’ll be fun. You’re game aren’t you Marjory?”

“Oh gosh yes,” she said nodding vigorously.

Audrey shook her head, “I don’t know Marjory the last time we went to anything musical we got arrested,”

Rogers eyebrows raised in surprise, Audrey seemed like the last person who would get arrested, “Whoa Audrey you’re more of a dangerous woman than I thought,” he teased.

“She has her moments,” Richard said grinning at his wife.


	4. Chapter 4

Approaching the pub, it didn’t look like there was any competition going on, in fact, it looked very quiet.

“Are you sure it’s tonight?” Adam asked

“Well Emmeridge And Mrs. Hedges left straight after serving dinner to come here, it must be tonight,” Richard said

Entering the pub they found it to be nearly full, but no one looked very happy and there was no music or singing going on.

Richard approached the bar, where the landlord stood,“Evening Fred. What happened to the Karaoke competition?”

“Evening Mr. DeVere. I’m afraid your Mr. Emmmeridge and his partner in crime over their broke the Karaoke machine,”

“How on earth did they manage that?”

Fred shook his head, “I don’t know Sir but I was glad when they did, my ears wouldn’t have taken another second of that racket,”

Richard chuckled, “I can understand that, so that’s why everyone’s looking so glum,”

Roger has been listening to the conversation and seeing that there was a microphone, piano, drums, and even a guitar on the stage, he decided to spread a little cheer, clapping Richard on the back he grinned, “Come on Richard, we can give em a song, there’s all the instruments over there,”

“I don’t know Roger it’s been a long time,” Richard said unsure if it was a good idea.

“You never lose it man, can we use those Fred?” He said motioning to the instruments.

“Yes Sir, it’s all in working order. The band from last night hasn’t come to collect it yet,” replied Fred

“Well I can play the drums,” Archie said enthusiastically 

“And I’m not to bad on the guitar,” Adam added

“That’s it then we got a band, let’s rock this joint lads,” Roger cried taking his jacket off and throwing it to Marjory to hold.

They played four songs in total starting with Pinball Wizard then a beautiful version of without your love with just Richard playing piano and Roger singing. After that was Baba O’Reily and finished of with My Generation. Richard becoming more confident with each one. Archie on the drums had removed his tie and wrapped it around his head to the dismay of his wife and Adam was strutting his stuff in front of a group of village girls to their utter delight.

Audrey and Marjory watched from the back enjoying every moment, Audrey even began to sing along with Marjory's encouragement.

When they finished playing they were cheered as they left the small stage, Roger stopping to sign a few autographs.

Richard pushed through the crowd to find Audrey. She was still clapping loudly and smiling as he approached. Marjory had left her on her own to save Adam from the group of village girls who were currently fighting over him.

Finally reaching her he smiled and took her hand in his, “Shall we step outside?”

“Yes alright, it is rather stuffy in here,”

They wandered out into the beer garden, it seemed everyone was inside and they had it to themselves.

“You were wonderful in there darling, you...how did Roger put it...Ah Yes, you rocked the joint,”

Richard chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her to him, “I don’t know about that but did I rock your world?”

Laughing Audrey threw her arms around his neck, “Darling, you always rock my world”


End file.
